Where to drink: Bar Agricole

When people ask where I like to drink, I'm lately finding myself the saying two words over and over: Bar Agricole. This place is a cocktail lover's paradise––a beautiful and modern interior along with a cool outdoor space in which to sip libations, offset from the hustle of SoMA. As you walk up the wooden entrance ramp, you enter one of those rare bars where time is irrelevant. I guess that's why I like going there so much. It feels like the world stops when you're in Agricole, like you've somehow stepped into a Neverland where the cocktails are timeless and the service, miraculously, is still impeccable. Before I get too emotional, look at the space:

Inside




Outside:


Now on to the drinks. Even if you've never had a real cocktail before, Bar Agricole's drinks will definitely blow you away. The more craft cocktails you've tasted, though, the more you realize how much effort goes into these seemingly simple drinks. Take, for example, the Ti Punch.

Ti Punch––Rhume Agricole, sugar, lime garnish




Another deceptively simple drink. Only a few ingredients, but this drink will keep you coming back for more. If you haven't had it before, Rhum Agricole makes you stop and think, "what did I just drink?" In a good way. The Ti Punch does an excellent job of highlighting the Rhum, not masking or obscuring it. Once you get a taste for the funk of Agricole, you'll have to go back for seconds. That's the perfect time to try a Daiquiri with Rhum Agricole.

Agricole Daiquiri––this drink is off menu, but they can easily make it (and they often do). It's a good way to enjoy the citrusy side Rhum Agricole. Again, the Rhum isn't overshadowed by the lime, only accented. It's one of my go-to drinks.

I always cap off an evening at Agricole with an Old Fashioned:

Looks like a run-of-the-mill Old Fashioned, but God is in the details. The ice is crystal clear (the Ti Punch picture below conveys the ice clarity much better). The bourbon is thoughtfully chosen––high proof to withstand the slow melting ice––and keeps the drink stiff throughout. The bitters are all made in house, and unlike most house-made bitters, these are mind blowing. I sometimes just get bitters and soda at Agricole, just so that I can enjoy them on their own. (I feel a post about the bitters coming on...) The sweetener adds enough viscosity to help hold up the bitters, but not so much as to make the drink syrupy. I might go so far as to say that this is the best Old Fashioned in the city right now.

Dear Pearl: I Still Do Like You

Dear Pearl,

Before I say all this, I have to say that I really do like you. I’ve written about you and your unique list of modern tropical drinks in the past. And I still like your spacious layouts, with three bars and all types of nooks, high tables, tall stools and soft, velvet cushions. Your happy hours are so pleasant—the discount drinks and appetizers, the easy accent lighting. Your staff is even kind and friendly. And, of course, your drinks were a delight, especially your old-fashioned.

But this last occasion something felt off. It all started when I ordered this first drink:

The Cherry Manhattan

Ingredients: Phillips Union cherry whiskey, sweet vermouth, two dashes of bitters, and a splash of cherry herring.

It looked pretty, up in a martini glass, all red and glossy. But it tasted like medicine! More syrupy than fluid. So sweet and no earthy whiskey.

And then I ordered:

Papa Doubles


Ingredients: 10 cane rum, Luxardo maraschino liqueur, rock candy syrup, fresh grapefruit and lime.

Luxardo is one of my favorites, so I splurged and reached for this second drink, supposedly a Cuban daiquiri, according to the menu! But it was too thick, weighed down by muddled grapefruit and lots of syrup. It tasted like concentrated juice.

Alas, perhaps myself is to blame for not sitting at the bar. I do have to say, though, that your food was stupendous. My friend Phil ordered Kobe beef and seared ahi. The tender beef arrived on a tall stack of wide potatoes, fried just right so that they were crunchy on the exterior and fluffy on the inside.



The ahi was so fresh, too, and sauce was just amazing! Not too fishy. Firm and not mushy.


In the end, I still respect you, Pearl. And I do plan to return another happy hour some day. Your environment is just so comfy, and my friend experience was so wonderful. But perhaps I may not order these specific drinks.

Love,

Noelle